


The Heat of Us

by BigBadWolfe



Category: Holby City
Genre: Established Relationship, F/F, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, Literally just fluffy smut, PWP
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-28
Updated: 2016-07-28
Packaged: 2018-07-27 08:50:57
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,773
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7611547
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BigBadWolfe/pseuds/BigBadWolfe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Some raw, sweaty, unadulterated, vigorous passion,” Serena murmured once more, each word drawing forth the desire that drummed through her with a staccato beat. Pressing a hand over her eyes as though she could simply block it all out, she instead saw the fuzzy imprint of her own fingertips backed against a soft, hazy gold. Swallowing, Serena realised what she craved more than anything at that moment was Bernie.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Heat of Us

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: So this came about after watching Serena very obviously wish she could partake in “Some raw, sweaty, unadulterated, vigorous passion.” And obviously we're hoping she was thinking about Bernie, and so this happened. Please note that I've written this with Bernie and Serena having already established a relationship together. Other than that, please enjoy!

Serena wondered when she’d lost control of herself, when she’d let herself fall beneath the spell of her own rampant desire and try to pass it off as a side effect of the heat. She blamed it on Bernie of course, on the way she had seemingly woven herself into the coil of her genes, embedded beneath her skin to change the way she was, the way she felt. To others she was exactly as she always had been, resilient and iron fisted, an overachiever to boot. But she had felt in herself a shift, an urge that had never been as overwhelmingly present before, and which had apparently come spilling out quite of its own volition to Raf. Her own amorous words circled her head, reverberating through her bones with the force of their desperation. Raf had only been looking for an outlet, a way to vent his frustration and she had meant to help, but instead had out poured her own desires quite by accident. Her cheeks burned as she pushed a hand through her hair, letting out a slow breath as though trying to exhale the flush that had taken hold of her both inside and out. 

“Some raw, sweaty, unadulterated, vigorous passion,” she murmured once more, each word drawing forth the desire that drummed through her with a staccato beat. Pressing a hand over her eyes as though she could simply block it all out, she instead saw the fuzzy imprint of her own fingertips backed against a soft, hazy gold. Swallowing, Serena realised what she craved more than anything at that moment was Bernie. Her girlfriend, laughable as it may be, swam in the forefront of her mind and Serena was mildly surprised at how forceful her need for Bernie was right then and there. A droplet of sweat snaked down the back of her neck, and Serena shivered before hurriedly pushing herself to her feet and headed back out to the ward. The heat was just as bad out there, made worse by the fact that there was an insistent clamour of complaint; of patient after patient tossing and turning, their sheets kicked aside as the desk fans pushed warm air throughout the ward. 

She turned in a slow circle in the middle of the ward, watching through the almost translucent shimmer of heated air as her team bustled around her. Stood unnoticed by those who passed around her as she looked for Bernie, seeking out the flyaway strands of gold in the otherwise dull room, Serena missed the careful steps that tracked behind her. Unable to spot her, Serena strode toward her office instead, sure that she’d find her partner buried beneath a mountain of paperwork rather than sat outside on the bench with a cigarette. She’d spotted Bernie heading out only an hour ago and was sure she wouldn’t have given into her craving again quite so soon. 

“I hear you’ve been looking for me?” 

Serena stiffened, her fingers lingering on the office door handle as she felt Bernie’s breath wash over the nape of her neck, could feel the warmth at her back as Bernie lingered just an inch away. Swallowing thickly, Serena turned smartly on her heel and looked up at her partner who, irritatingly enough, appeared nonplussed by the sweltering heat. 

“Oh you did, did you? May I ask where you got such an idea?” 

Bernie grinned as she reached forwards, and for a moment Serena was certain she would take her hand, but instead Bernie grasped hold of the door handle and pushed it open. Neither of them looked away from one another as Serena stepped backwards into their shared office, Bernie matching her step for step before nudging the door closed with her outstretched foot. Inside the office was far darker than the ward, the blinds still slatted shut as though to keep the heat out. It hadn’t worked. In fact it seemed hotter, a solid wall that forced Serena into an acute awareness of herself, so much so that she could feel the closeness of Bernie’s skin to hers like an electricity that caught every nerve. 

“I just bumped into Raf looking rather worse for wear and he said,” Bernie leant in slowly and Serena couldn’t help but sway toward her, “that you obviously had something on your mind”. No sooner had she finished talking, Bernie caught her bottom lip between her teeth, tugging in mindful contemplation. Serena’s fingers knotted over one another as she heaved a breath, certain Bernie was doing that deliberately. Did she know what that did to her? The way her body responded to such a simple movement, drawn forcefully to her as though magnetised. 

“And he said that something was you, did he?” Serena cocked an eyebrow as she looked up at her, trying fiercely not to blush. “Or is that just wishful thinking on your behalf?” 

“Are you calling me a liar, Doctor Campbell?” Bernie purred as she stepped closer, her fingers coming up to map the curve of her hip before slipping to hook around her waist.

Serena burned at her touch, desperately clawing at her reserve, trying to ignore the base urges that flooded through her mind. Bernie’s fingers spread slowly over her waist as though cataloguing each inch of her, the rasp of her silk blouse alighting her skin. 

“Well, that’s entirely dependent on what Mr Di Lucca actually said to you”. 

“Something along the lines of unadulterated, vigorous passion, if I recall”. Bernie paused for a moment with her head cocked slightly to the side, and Serena could see the curve of her mouth quiver as she tried to keep in her laughter. “Ringing any bells or should I admit him to A&E for a serious case of heat exhaustion?” Before Serena could answer, entirely distracted by the slow caress of Bernie’s thumb against her waist, Bernie leant in so that her mouth lingered at her ear. “Would you like to know what I think?”

“Do I have much choice?” Serena managed to say, the timbre of her voice far lower than she wanted it to be.

“I think the truth of the matter is that this heat has gotten to you,” Bernie murmured as she slipped her free hand up to brush the backs of her fingers over Serena’s cheek.

“Well, we can’t all have had such experience with temperatures that belong in the Middle East,” Serena blustered, closing her eyes for a moment as she steeled herself not to lean into Bernie’s touch, “now if you’ll excuse me-“

She plucked herself from Bernie’s arms, trying to escape the closeness of her, sure that if she moved away by just an inch then her mind would suddenly right itself, would start thinking rationally rather than picture all the different ways she could have Bernie right then and there. She turned away from her and started for the door, but before she could take more than a step she felt herself grasped suddenly from behind, hands catching firmly around her waist. Without a word she was pushed face first against the wall. Gasping, Serena found herself pinned by Bernie’s body weight as she leant up against her, breath hot and fast in her ear. Despite herself, Serena moaned as Bernie caught her earlobe between her teeth. 

“You were thinking about me,” Bernie whispered hotly, as her hands wandered over the shallow curve of Serena’s waist, “admit it”.

Leaning her forehead against the wall which was only a fraction cooler than the rest of the room, Serena shook her head, refusing to be the one to give in. Ever since Bernie had arrived at Holby it seemed all she ever did was push her boundaries; testing her control of the ward, of her emotions, of her body. She found herself constantly breaking beneath her to be then reshaped by Bernie’s steady hands, both at work and in the bedroom, moulded into something more; something better. But even as she refused her, Serena tipped her head back to rest against Bernie’s shoulder, her neck bared in undeniable surrender. 

She gasped loudly at the sudden nip to the side of her throat, the soft press of lips sealing over it a moment after as if in apology. Her hands splayed against the wall and immediately Bernie followed suit as her fingers interlocked over hers. 

“I think,” Bernie murmured as her lips trailed up her jaw, “that you’d let me have you right here and now”. Her fingers squeezed Serena’s, acknowledging that she had caught her, that she had her where she wanted. “Despite all your talk about professionalism and good old British reserve, I know that you want me”. 

“And if I said yes?” Serena breathed, and immediately she felt Bernie’s grin bloom as she pressed her face against the curve of her shoulder. 

Bernie let go of her hands to instead catch hold of her shoulders, and Serena breathed in sharply at the overwhelming feeling of being caught, of being helpless. It seemed that her iron clad grip on every aspect of her life that she could clutch onto had left her open to the oldest kink in the book; of being controlled by someone she trusted like no other. And of course Bernie was more than happy to comply, a woman who was the embodiment of a ‘top’ if ever there had been one. She almost smiled at the idea of Bernie being anything else, but was entirely distracted as one hand trailed downwards, snaking between the valley of her breasts and over her stomach before slipping to cup her through her trousers. Serena could not help the hitch of her breath, the sound catching as she groaned her approval, her head falling to the side as Bernie kissed her way upwards to that spot behind her ear that made her knees weak. Her entire body was strung tightly, quivering beneath Bernie’s touch as she focused upon the friction of her hand, the feel of her palm rocking against her. It took all she had not to take Bernie’s hand in her own and guide it beneath her trousers to where she so desperately wanted it to be. Her head swam, the heat only growing worse as her body responded to her lovers touch, each inch of her skin waiting for the next tantalising caress – 

“I would say,” Bernie whispered, her hands falling away to instead tug gently at her shoulders, bringing her back round to face her, “that we’re at work”. 

Serena blinked slowly.

“You- You…” Bernie grinned as she stuttered her indignation. It was an infuriatingly proud look, smug almost, and had Serena not been trying to resist falling any further under Bernie’s spell, then she would have kissed it off of her. Instead she glared up at her, willing her hand to stop its trembling as she prodded Bernie fiercely in the shoulder. “You are in so much trouble when we get home”. 

Bernie’s smile, if possible, grew wider. 

“I look forward to it”. 

…

The day dragged on after that, time seeming to have grown to a standstill beneath the heavy heat. It grew only slower still in the conference room. Not for the first time during the meeting, Serena glanced down at her watch, twisting her pen back and forth distractedly in her hands as she willed the working day to come to a close. For some reason, Hanssen had decided to call a meeting to discuss the current situation in AAU, wanting to look over rotas and schedules and the general staff makeup of the ward. She still didn’t know why she couldn’t just email Hanssen the stats, but apparently it was a matter that needed her attention immediately and in person. So she sat and she talked and she waited, all the while distracted by the thought of Bernie. It didn’t help when Hanssen seemed to dedicate an entire five minutes to Bernie’s progress within the ward, with each mention of her name setting her even further on edge. 

By the time Hanssen finally deemed the meeting finished it was already dark, and whilst the heat was nowhere near as stifling as it had been, Serena burned. Her whole body was flushed through as she hurried out to her car, hands trembling as she fitted them into the ignition. 

She was almost ashamed of how quickly she drove home, speeding through the city in a way that even Bernie would’ve been proud of, before parking up outside her home. 

Though the house stood dark and quiet, she knew Bernie would be inside just waiting for her to set foot through the door. It registered in the back of her mind that it was Friday night and Jason would be out until late at chess club, having always stayed behind to talk things over with a firm friend he had made there. She was certain Bernie had known that before the day had even started, only furthering her suspicion that Bernie had chosen her timing with deliberate precision. Serena had to laugh at her audacity, her sheer nerve and force of will to make things happen how she wanted them to. It was just another part of the reason as to why she loved Bernie so fiercely. 

Smiling ruefully as she ran a hand through her hair, Serena walked up to the door and let herself in, her breath already fast and shallow with anticipation as she reached blindly for the hallway light. She’d needn’t have bothered because as she closed the door, the upstairs hallway light snapped on and bathed the stairs in a soft glow. Serena looked up eagerly in search of her lover, but found nothing. Smirking as she realised she was being tempted upstairs, Serena shed her shoes and jacket with very little finesse before hurrying up the stairs, willingly stepping into the trap that she knew would be waiting for her. No sooner had she levelled out in the hallway, she found herself almost colliding with Bernie who was waiting for her, pressed against the closed door to her bedroom. 

“Good evening, Doctor Campbell,” Bernie purred, and Serena was sure that for a moment she stopped breathing as she took Bernie in. She stood there dressed only in lingerie, it could be called nothing else with the way it clung sinfully to Bernie’s body, emerald lace and silk that hugged the curve of her hip and the generous swell of her breasts. Serena licked her lips, mouth dry and heart racing at the sight before her as she tried to take all of her in, but found it impossible to focus on her in her entirety. Her eyes kept straying across Bernie’s body, darting from place to place as she drank her in: the contrast of the deep emerald to her golden hair, the softly sculpted plane of her stomach, her dark eyes that watched her carefully, filled with a heat that made her knees weak. 

“Cat got your tongue?” Bernie teased as she reached lazily upwards to push a tumbling lock of hair from her eyes. 

Serena tracked the sweep of Bernie’s fingers rapturously as she struggled to find her words once more. “Where have you been hiding these?” she managed to rasp eventually.

“I thought I’d save them for a rainy day, but I suppose just the opposite will do”. Bernie smirked before reaching out to toy with the top button of Serena’s blouse, “now are you just going to stand there, or are you going to come over here and kiss me?”

Serena did not need telling twice as she surged towards Bernie, kissing her with a fierceness that had burned within her all day. Her head span as she drank her in, one hand immediately curling around Bernie’s bare waist as the other struggled to choose where to settle, flitting from her hip to her shoulder before finally slipping into the silk of her hair. She groaned as Bernie drew her in closer, her hands tight around her hips as her fingers slid down the back of her trousers, cool against her hot skin. Serena kissed her harder, gasping as Bernie nipped her bottom lip before sweeping her tongue inside of her mouth, rubbing up tantalisingly against her own. 

Bernie withdrew suddenly, her hands falling away from her hips and Serena was sure she would dissolve if Bernie dared to tease her like she had earlier in the office. She wasn’t sure she’d survive if they stopped, certain she would combust with the ferocity of her desire. 

“Come to bed with me,” Bernie murmured into her ear, reaching blindly behind her to tug down the door handle, swinging it open and stepping back into the cool darkness of the bedroom. Holding out her hand, Bernie fixed her with a look that cut straight through her, one that was filled with untamed desire but was soft enough to set her stomach fluttering. Wordlessly, Serena laced their fingers together and followed Bernie into the semi darkness. 

Bernie pulled them together once more with a soft but insistent tug, only this time they stood pressed front to back, Bernie’s chin rested atop of Serena’s shoulder as her arms circled her waist. She placed a soft kiss to the side of Serena’s neck, then another just below her ear. 

“I want to see you,” Bernie urged, as her hands swept up Serena’s torso until her fingers found the first of her buttons. Easily she popped it open, stroked her way down to the next one and did the same. “I think it only fair that tonight is about you,” she said softly, easing open the button that strained over Serena’s chest, “considering how very unfair I was today”. 

Serena licked her lips, reaching back and up to wind her fingers through Bernie’s hair. “Hmm, I suppose that would start to make up for how very –“ she breathed a sigh as Bernie reached the bottom button and undid it, stroking her fingers across her now bared stomach, “unnecessarily mean you were”. 

“Only start to make up for it?” Bernie murmured against her skin, as she trailed a string of barely there kisses down the column of her throat. “Well then, I just won’t stop until you’ve,” she bit down against the juncture of Serena’s shoulder and stifled her own groan as Serena gasped, “forgiven me”. 

Tightening her fingers in Bernie’s hair, she pressed herself backwards into her, feeling the stiffness of tense muscles against her back. She felt the heat that was unfurling in her stomach grow only stronger at the feeling, having always admired the subtle strength of Bernie’s body that was revealed when she peeled off the layers of her clothing. She’d spent more time than she cared to admit appreciating the coiling muscles in Bernie’s arms, watching them strain beneath her scrubs whenever she could during their shared shifts. She couldn’t help but find something undeniably sexy about knowing, having tried and tested it earlier in their relationship, that Bernie could easily pick her up. 

“I’ll hold you to that”.

Gently dislodging Serena’s fingers, Bernie span Serena round until they were facing each other once more. “I won’t disappoint,” she promised. Slowly she reached out to trace the soft curve of Serena’s jaw, following an imaginary line down her throat before trailing across her collarbones. With both hands she swept Serena’s blouse from her shoulders, following the silky material down her arms before freeing the clothing from her wrists. 

Serena watched Bernie take her in, not being able to keep the flush from spreading as she felt the familiar prickle of bashfulness which always appeared whenever she was held beneath Bernie’s admiring eye. She could almost feel her gaze wandering across her body, laughed when it so obviously settled on her chest. 

“My eyes are up here,” she teased, though reached for Bernie’s restless hand and guided it to her breast, inhaling sharply as Bernie immediately took its heavy weight and squeezed softly. 

Bernie had the decency to grin sheepishly up at her. “You know, you’re –“ Bernie paused as she licked her lips, running her thumb over the silken swell of Serena’s breast as she searched for the right word but could find nothing that fit, and instead settled for the next best thing, no matter how juvenile it sounded. “You’re incredibly sexy”. 

Rolling her eyes and laughing, Serena closed the gap between them and kissed her soundly. She could feel Bernie’s answering grin against the curve of her own open smile and kissed her deeper for it, still filled with a giddy disbelief that love could be like this; that sex was love and laughter and banter all rolled into one. Perhaps it didn’t flow smoothly like it did on the screen, where movies showed flawless love making in a strange sort of silence, but it was perfect nonetheless. It was theirs. 

Bernie’s hands were on her once again, one still cupped around her breast as her thumb slipped beneath the curve of her bra, stroking in slow, sure circles that made her breath catch. The other, somehow, had almost entirely divested her of her trousers, leaving her to kick them away from her ankles. She stepped out of them as she clung to Bernie’s shoulders, and no sooner had she done so she felt herself being guided toward the bed. Bernie navigated her way backwards so that when they reached it she was the one who fell first, Serena coming down moments after. Serena’s eyes fluttered closed as she settled atop of Bernie, relishing in the incomparable feeling of skin on skin contact, marvelling in the tight pull of muscle that she could feel against her stomach as Bernie leant up to kiss her. Pulling back momentarily, she gently encouraged Bernie up the bed until she was settled against the pillows instead. Looking down at her, Serena cupped Bernie’s face but before she could kiss her, Bernie clasped hold of her hands. 

“Wait, wait,” Bernie said, sitting up which forced Serena reluctantly off of her. Quickly she leaned over and snapped on the bedside lamp, flooding the room, and more importantly the bed, with a soft glow. “Better,” she smiled, as she took in the sight before her, revelling in the beauty of an almost naked Serena. She would never tire of looking at her, especially like this, and in the hazy golden glow Serena looked otherworldly; a goddess. As Serena came closer, intent obvious in the gleam of her eye, Bernie pressed a gentle hand against her sternum until she sat back down. “I remember saying that this was all about you,” she pushed Serena’s shoulder until she slipped to lie back on the bed, “Now, stay there”.

Serena responded immediately to the sound of the command in Bernie’s voice, her breath hitching as Bernie moved to straddle her. Though her eyes never strayed from Bernie’s face, she ran her fingers over the tight muscles of Bernie’s thighs, but immediately acquiesced as Bernie caught her hands and pinned them back against the mattress, effectively trapping her beneath her warm weight. Enraptured, she stared up at her, Bernie’s eyes even darker in the half shadows and Serena could not help but notice how predatory she looked hovering above her. Catching her bottom lip between her teeth, Serena flexed her fingers beneath Bernie’s and hoped she would take pity on her before she had to plead. She’d hate to be so very needy as to beg for it before Bernie had even taken off her underwear. 

Bernie seemed to understand as she squeezed her fingers once in gentle reassurance before rolling her hips as she adjusted her position until her mouth hovered just above Serena’s own. Brushing a soft kiss to her lips, Bernie moved in a sudden flurry of movement as she let go of Serena’s hands, one look telling her to leave them exactly where they were, before she grazed her fingers up Serena’s stomach until they settled between her breasts. The backs of her fingers brushed over the tight mesh of lace, dragging unbearably slowly across Serena’s already tight nipples, drawing forth a maddening friction that had Serena jolting beneath her as she drew a shaky breath. 

“Up,” Bernie commanded and Serena obeyed, arching upwards to allow Bernie to slip her hands beneath her and expertly unsnap her bra, raising her arms as the garment was drawn off of her. She shivered as the cold air hit her already sensitive skin, but gasped aloud as Bernie dipped down to swirl her tongue in a slow circle around her nipple. Her fingers twitched, desperate to curl into Bernie’s hair and guide her to where she needed her but she kept still. As if Bernie had somehow read her thoughts and this was Serena’s well-deserved reward, Bernie caught her nipple between her teeth, tugging gently before soothing her tongue across it. 

“Bernie,” Serena groaned, fingers twisting in the sheets. Her entire body was hyper sensitive, every part of her tense and alert as she waited for her lovers touch. And when it was finally came, sharp teeth at the underside of her breast, the slow lap of Bernie’s tongue over her nipple, it was almost unbearably pleasurable. “Bern-“

“I know,” Bernie soothed as she dipped her head back down to repeat her actions, her fingers mirroring each movement on Serena’s other breast with skillful precision, listening intently to the sounds Serena made. “I have you”. 

Serena’s heart lurched at the sincerity to her voice, her hand stealing down the bed to catch hold of Bernie’s hand that splayed in the sheets for balance. Linking their fingers together once again, this touch different, a gentle whisper of reassurance in a sea of torrid desire, Serena pressed her hips upwards impatiently, seeking relief from the ache between her legs, whimpering as Bernie’s tongue lashed against her nipple. 

Bernie sucked in a sharp breath as she listened to Serena’s sighs pitch higher until they peaked into a desperate whimper, amazed at how worked up she had become by simple touch alone. She supposed she was almost entirely to blame as she had left Serena out of sorts in the office, worked up and unable to do anything about it. However, if this was the reaction she could draw forth from her then Bernie vowed to try it again, if only to have Serena splayed beneath her so openly once more. 

Giving into the insistent pull of Serena’s fingers, deciding she had teased her enough, Bernie shifted down the bed, settling into the space between Serena’s spread legs. Fingering the soft lace trim of Serena’s underwear, she slipped her fingers beneath the elastic at her hips before letting it snap back sharply against Serena’s skin. Hissing, Serena pressed her hips upwards once again and was grateful when Bernie slipped her knickers down her legs, letting her kick them aside until they flew off of the end of the bed. 

“Now this,” Bernie pressed a kiss to the top of thigh, breathing in Serena’s heady scent, “is better. Much better”. Shifting once again, Bernie gripped hold of Serena’s hips and pulled her down toward her mouth, feeling Serena twitch beneath her fingers. Running her nails back and forth along her legs, Bernie paused every now and then to circle the sensitive spots: the bend of her knee, the crease of her thigh before drawing higher to ghost over her hip. She leant in to press a light kiss just above her mound and Serena’s entire body shook, her fingers tightening their clasp on her shoulder. 

“Please, Bern”. 

“Shh,” Bernie hushed her as she kissed down to the top of her thigh, running her tongue lightly against the crease. Serena twitched, murmuring her pleasure. Listening to the pattern of her breath, Bernie waited for her to breathe out before she finally dove in, stroking her tongue slowly, lightly, up the length of her. Immediately Serena cried out, her nails digging into her back as she arched against her mouth. Bernie clung to her hips, pushing them against the bed as she ran her tongue back down, harder now, circled her entrance before coming up to trace around her clit. She was deliberate in her slowness, wanted to tease her, keep her there and only there in that moment with her. 

“Bernie,” Serena gasped, fingers slipping up to tangle at in the loose hairs at the nape of her neck, “oh – fuck”. 

She hummed in deliberate acknowledgement and Serena’s hips arched upwards with the vibrations, voice breaking. Slowly she raked her nails up Serena’s inner thigh, giving a rough sort of friction that contrasted to the slow press of her tongue, grinning as Serena chased after her touch, breath heaving out of her. Bernie drew back for a moment to observe her work, looking up at her and Serena’s reaction was immediate as she whined in protest, her fingers pulling in her hair. 

“Bernie, please,” she begged, and for a moment Bernie was tempted to give in, to just let Serena have this. But instead she just grinned and pressed a slow kiss to her thigh, fingers circling the sensitive skin at her hips. 

“Impatient, are we?” Bernie teased as Serena’s nails dug into her shoulders, “I thought you had the patience of a saint”. After every word she gently nipped at her inner thigh and Serena gasped, wriggling on the bed. 

“Not when you’re – “ she stuttered to a stop as Bernie outlined the shape of her with her tongue in a slow, sure motion. “God! Not when you’re doing that”. She whimpered when Bernie’s fingers slid upward, mapping their way across her body before settling at her breast. Bernie tweaked a nipple between her fingers, and Serena could hear the hitch of her breath when she growled out her approval. “Bern-“

“Yes love?” She murmured, surprised when Serena reached with both hands for her and tugged desperately at her shoulders. 

“Your mouth,” she begged, and Bernie knew she couldn’t say no to that, to such open and wanton desire, “please, I want your mouth”.

Humming playfully as though deliberating, Bernie kissed the inside of her thigh once more before sighing. “Well, if you’re sure-“

Serena breathed in as though to speak but before she could utter a word Bernie sank back into her, her mouth working hungrily as her fingers dipped inside of her. 

“Oh,” Serena whimpered, breath coming short and sharp and fast, “oh god, yes”. Her fingers clung to Bernie’s shoulder, nails digging in just enough for Bernie to hiss and retaliate, her fingers pushing inside of her in one short, sharp thrust. She sucked her clit into her mouth as her fingers massaged upwards, and Serena cried out, head falling further into the pillows as one of her hands fell away to tangle in the sheets. 

It took no time at all for Bernie to work her into a state of frenzy, her breaths coming short and sharp as her hips undulated to the perfect rhythm of Bernie’s fingers. Everything seemed to spiral inwards, converging upon one shining point of being as Serena focused upon the combined feeling of Bernie’s tongue and fingers and breath as they worked to take her higher, pushing her further and further until finally – finally – the pressure inside of her snapped. Plucking desperately at the sheets with both hands, Serena’s entire body arched almost painfully as she came, head tipped back and eyes closed. The pleasure seemed to rush everywhere all at once, gripping hold of her tightly as Bernie’s fingers coaxed her through ever last moment until she was left trembling and breathless with release.

“Jesus Christ,” Serena breathed as she opened her eyes, staring up sightlessly at the ceiling. “Jesus”. 

Pulling herself up, but not without a last kiss to Serena’s still quivering thighs, Bernie moved up the bed until she was lying next to her. She smoothed a hand up Serena’s arms before turning to wrap herself around her. “So?”

“So what?” Serena questioned as she turned on her side to curl into Bernie’s embrace, her whole body relaxing into her as she moulded herself to Bernie’s form.

Bernie pressed a kiss to the crown of Serena’s head. “Am I forgiven? Or would you like me to apologise again?” Her fingers slid through the hot, wet heat between her legs and Serena let out a breathy moan, wriggling away from her, still too sensitive to be touched. 

Craning her head up from its position against Bernie’s shoulder, she brushed a kiss to Bernie’s lips. “Oh you’re forgiven,” she kissed her again, deeper this time, intoxicated by the taste of herself mingled with the sweetness of Bernie’s mouth, “you’re utterly forgiven. And when I can move again, I will show you just how much”. 

“I told you,” Bernie said gently, her fingers stroking down Serena’s back as she ghosted over each knot of her spine, “this was about you, for you”. She drew Serena back into her, breathing in the sweet scent of her hair, “besides, I think I rather deserve a night of abstinence, don’t you think?”

Serena huffed a laugh against Bernie’s neck. “Indeed. Teach you not to exploit my weakness to this god awful heat and what not. However,” she drew her arms tightly around Bernie’s middle, “I think you should’ve learnt your lesson by tomorrow night, wouldn’t you agree?”

“It’s a date,” Bernie yawned, listening to Serena’s echoing yawn only a second after. Kicking her foot out, Bernie curled her toes around the blanket at the bottom of the bed and managed to drag it upwards, catching its edge with her fingertips and drawing it up over them. Circling the dimples at the base of Serena’s spine, Bernie kissed her forehead sweetly. “Sleep now?”

“Definitely”. Serena was almost surprised at how forcefully her tiredness had taken over her, making her already slack muscles feel leaden. Relaxing ever further, she let her eyes slip closed as she basked in the warmth and comfort of Bernie’s arms. 

Bernie closed her eyes as she listened to Serena’s breaths even out, felt her muscles slacken as sleep overtook her. Only when she was certain she was asleep, could feel her measured breath against her shoulder, did she let herself drift off. 

…

The next morning Bernie sat propped up against the pillows as she watched Serena sleep, her fingers tracing along the gentle curvature of Serena’s naked body. She smiled as Serena unconsciously curled around her, shielding her face away from the first rays of daylight that filtered through the blind, and Bernie ached with her adoration for this woman. The years had not dented the timeless beauty that Serena exuded, perhaps even adding to it, the lines that creased her mouth evidence of every radiant smile she had ever given. Bernie slipped her fingers along the dip of Serena’s waist, mapping the arch of her hip before gliding her fingertips down the long expanse of her thigh. She would never tire of being able to touch her like this. After watching from the side-lines for so long, seeing Serena’s life rise and fall like the tide whilst she just surfed along its edges, it was almost surreal to be with her. She had known Serena for scant few months, had known the pleasure of her friendship for even fewer, yet still Serena had helped her pull herself from the carnage that her spiralling life had provided. And now, having taken that final leap, acting on a want that had been growing inside of her for longer than she cared to think, she was finally with her. She hoped, wishing more fiercely than she ever had, that she would have the privilege of waking up every day to Serena, watching the dawn break and flood the room to caress every nuance of her body. She knew that she’d never be more grateful for anything than the privilege of loving Serena Campbell. 

“Haven’t you ever heard it’s rude to stare?” Serena murmured, even though her eyes were still shut. 

“Am I not allowed to?” Bernie asked softly as her fingers traced the soft contour of Serena’s jaw, before curving round beneath her chin and along the tendon of her neck. Bernie’s touch was almost apprehensive, as if the night before had never happened; as though her fingertips had never touched Serena’s body and this was her first hesitant exploration. 

Serena opened her eyes as Bernie’s fingers reached her collarbone. She didn’t stop Bernie, somehow aware that this was more than simple desire alone. Her touch wasn’t desperate nor was it demanding but she felt its necessity; as if Bernie were mapping out each part of her. She couldn’t help the hitch of her breath as Bernie ghosted her fingers across the swell of her breast, but otherwise remained silent, peering up to watch Bernie in turn. She was as focused as she’d ever seen her, as if the curves of her body were something to be studied, her touch laying down the foundations to the story of her skin. As Bernie circled the scar that crested along her right side, just above her hip, she finally opened up. 

“You’re beautiful,” Bernie said, and Serena huffed disbelievingly despite the curve of a smile that played at the corner of her mouth. 

“I think that’s a little bias,” Serena chuckled, but she was aware of the weight behind Bernie’s words as if they were textbook facts.

“Believe me,” Bernie implored as her fingers reached Serena’s hip, splaying against its arch for a moment. “I’m useless at this,” she waved her hand as if to explain away the words that tripped from her tongue, “but I want to be good at it. I want to be able to always tell you how I feel, and I want to let myself feel it”.

Bernie shook her head and sighed. Her fingers curled until they were clutched around Serena’s hip, as though she could say everything she needed if only she held Serena tight enough; kept her close. 

“But really though,” she intertwined their fingers, thumb stroking across each knuckle, “you really are the most beautiful person I know, Serena. Inside and out”. Her words sounded like a confession and Serena listened raptly to it, aware of the crease of Bernie’s frown; her discomfort clear as she laid herself bare. Serena was silently pleased that despite her evident reservations, Bernie continued on. “I don’t do emotional outbursts,” she glanced down in evident frustration, “I can’t. Never have done. But with you, it feels like I could and more so that I should. Because I feel so much more when I’m with you and I just can’t… I can’t keep it all in. I don’t want to hide from you any longer, I want you to know that -” Bernie paused, stumbling over her words as her brow furrowed. “You’re everything to me,” she settled on eventually, though she chewed on her bottom lip in apparent agitation at her inability to find the right words. 

“Bernie-“

“I don’t want to lose you, Serena,” Bernie’s voice broke as her eyes fluttered closed, “not ever”.

Aching with the silent fear that shaped Bernie’s words, Serena gazed at her for a moment longer before she propped herself up on an elbow and tugged Bernie down with her other hand until she was laid out flat beneath her. Bernie looked up at her expectantly, sighing as Serena traced a soft fingertip down the prevalent scar that intersected her chest.

“I’m not going anywhere,” Serena assured her, reaching up to smooth back the hair from Bernie’s forehead, “we may not be poet laureates, but we are fighters, you and I. Whatever the future holds, good or bad,” she reached out for Bernie’s hand, lacing their fingers together and squeezing, “we’ll face it together”. Serena stopped uncertainly, aware of the weight of her words as though they’d solidified and fallen around them, worried that she’d revealed her own hopes for the future too soon. But Bernie reached up with her free hand and curled it round the back of her neck, drawing Serena down on top of her. 

“Together,” Bernie repeated back to her, and Serena felt her heart beat race with understanding, unable to look away from the softness of Bernie’s features that seemed to echo back her own fervent hopes.

Leaning down Serena pressed her lips softly to Bernie’s. “I love you,” she said almost shyly, “I hope you know that”. 

Smiling, Bernie stroked her fingers softly through Serena’s hair. “I love you too”.

**Author's Note:**

> I don't own Holby City or its characters.


End file.
